Don't worry about wetting the grass before you spray. Also, allow 1-2 hours to dry before letting your dog back out. Once it dries, your dog will be fine.

[Edited on August 6, 2008 at 4:12 PM. Reason : Page 2]

8/6/2008 4:12:36 PM

Quote :

"I'd like to get less dependent on pesticides, and I'd love to have bats flying around, so I'm trying the bat house. "

damn hippies!

the only problem with bats where i live is a pool. if people are swimming at night, i don't want bats flying around getting hemmed up in people's hair.




this one holds 500. that's a shit load of bats flying around.

8/6/2008 7:10:40 PM

maybe i'm a bit paranoid, but what happens when the bats move into your attic? i've seen the results of this on some tv show and there was bat shit and piss all inside a house's attic. it pretty much made the house inhabitable because of mildew and infestation.

8/7/2008 12:35:43 AM

I actually have a bat problem. There is a colony of about 50 bats nesting up against the attic vents. They can't get into the attic because you should have screen material stapled over all the entrances. I am in the process of building a couple bat houses for the back yard and will then force them out in the fall.

8/7/2008 12:48:51 AM

bttt

bug free backyard cut down on them some, but theyre still around. i'm sure as soon as it rains again they'll be all over the place

8/12/2008 10:02:48 PM

how good do the thermacells work?

8/31/2008 1:22:21 PM

they are fantastic, but pricey in the long run.



id like to just buy the active ingredient and rig something over a candle for the back yard.

8/31/2008 2:05:06 PM

^^^ I can't speak for the thermacells, but with a wooded backyard we find it's a constant battle. (We're on .44 acres, and at least 3/4ths of that is in the rear, and wooded. As a bonus, we back up to a greenway with a creek)

The bug free backyard worked okay for a day or two most times, and gradually the little guys came back up to normal population levels. (Well before the 4 week mark, regardless of which of the two types they offer)

Keeping weeds & underbrush low is key, this has helped us dramatically this year versus last. We're in the process of dealing with all the leaves from last year as well, as much as I like to just "leave it natural" the leaves themselves are a problem for both fleas and mosquitoes. Torches on the deck do an okay job of keeping the skeeters off of it (a small 10x10 or so deck) but we're still looking for viable solutions.

My plan is to hit up AgriSupply (http://www.agrisupply.com/) after raking and disposing of the leaves, as well as cutting out the lower lying branches in hopes of keeping the overall yard much drier. ASC has several higher level pesticides that are supposed to be animal-safe. I'd be cautious if you have an older dog, or one prone to illness...

Also planning to get a bathouse to hopefully get their population way up before next year.

9/1/2008 10:25:53 PM

Quote :

" they are fantastic, but pricey in the long run. id like to just buy the active ingredient and rig something over a candle for the back yard."

true, but they only work with no wind. they have an electric one overseas, works better than the portables, very cheap too. see if you can't find someone online to buy them from.

9/2/2008 12:10:44 AM

did anyone try the bat houses? i am seriously considering one now because i can't even go in my back yard anymore. mosquitos are breeding in my lawn mower which is in a storage shed

i read that they prefer houses NOT mounted on trees, but i'd really like to do that just to keep it simple.

9/2/2008 12:34:53 AM

http://www.batcon.org/bhra/economyhouse.html

9/3/2008 1:51:52 AM

I also am looking into the bat house solution

I gotta convince the wife that it's worth it, because I hate going out to water plants and coming back in with 5 or 6 bites

9/15/2008 1:21:53 PM

I know this is a stupid question, but for the bats to be effective, do they need to be able to reach where the mosquito's are nesting? I have a theory that the buggers are nesting under my deck. The previous owner just built a deck without any type of french draining system or anything, and since we have potted plants on the deck, it is constantly wet down there. I doubt very seriously it ever really dries out because of this.

I would love to get a house and have them swooping and taking out all of these annoying things, but if it's a waste and I'm still going to be attacked when I leave my house, I don't know if it's worth it

9/19/2008 8:38:49 AM

bttt

6/15/2009 9:04:00 PM

my neighbor has some kinda bug catcher thing that attracts the bugs, but once they get in they cant get out...might be worth a shot

6/15/2009 9:11:15 PM

Its been nine months, did anyone put up bat houses?

6/15/2009 9:36:04 PM

^

6/16/2009 12:48:35 AM

How do those tiki torches hold up to weather? Do you just leave them out there 24/7 or only put them up when you need to use them?

6/16/2009 10:03:54 AM

most have a cap to protect the wick, other than that, they are pretty weatherproof.

6/16/2009 10:27:26 AM

I've never had any success with tiki torches. Of course this mosquito infestation is like none other. Funny how they never seem to bother anyone else quite like they bother me. I could put on a thin membrane of pure deet and they would just bite through it.

I've considered getting a power washer, making a low concentration clorox solution, and just spraying the yard down every so often. All the plants might die, but small price at this point.

6/16/2009 11:53:40 AM

random fact from my google widget:

During World War II, the free-tailed bat caves near San Antonio were guarded closely as part of top-secret Operation X-ray. The U.S. military attempted to train the bats to carry small incendiary bombs and release them in Japanese buildings. During one test, bat bomb carriers escaped and set fire to barracks and a general’s car. The project was later scrapped.




Point of the story.... Use bats to kill mesquitos, not to carry bombs.

6/16/2009 1:04:39 PM

lol AWESOME post.

6/16/2009 1:26:05 PM

^^Saw that in some show recently. The idea was to release them in the wild. They would then settle in the eaves of buildings/structures, where they were subsequently blown up.

Scratch that. Read it here:
http://www.cracked.com/article_15983_10-most-bizarre-military-experiments.html

[Edited on June 16, 2009 at 1:46 PM. Reason : -]

6/16/2009 1:45:16 PM

found this on the internet:

Quote :

"1 cup of lemon-scented ammonia and 1 cup of lemon-scented dishwashing liquid in a 20 gallon hose-end sprayer, filling the balance of the sprayer jar with warm water. Repeat this treatment 3 times a week in the evening"

haven't tried, but it looks like a cheap option.

6/16/2009 6:46:50 PM

Citronella plants work out alright around my porch.


They weren't expensive, but of course you have to maintain them.

6/16/2009 7:41:39 PM